May Health Challenge: Revitalize Your Fitness with the Ate App
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, a perfect time to focus on improving your physical activity and overall wellness.
Since 1983, each President has declared May as a month to promote the importance of staying active and healthy.
This month, challenge yourself to become more physically fit with a measurable and doable health challenge.
To kickstart your fitness journey this May, we’ve put together a three-step health challenge that is not only measurable and doable but also sustainable for the long run. To help you track your progress and stay accountable, use the Ate app!
1. Set a specific fitness goal:
Whether it’s increasing your daily steps, running a certain distance, trying a new workout class, or improving your flexibility, set a clear and achievable goal for yourself because having clear objectives will keep you motivated and focused throughout the month. Write it down and track your progress using the Ate app.
How to do this in Ate:
Change your current experiment to be physical fitness-related. By doing so, you’ll have your reminder of movement at the forefront to help keep you accountable. See how the movement that you do changes any habits you may have around eating and also how you feel.
2. Stay Active Daily (and incorporate variation):
Make a commitment to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. This could be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a walk during your lunch break, or scheduling regular workout sessions. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week to improve your overall fitness level.
Or, if you’re currently in a fitness rut — get back on path by mixing up your workouts to keep things exciting and challenge different muscle groups. Try activities like yoga, HIIT, cycling, or swimming to keep your body moving in new ways.
How to do this in Ate:
If you have a smart wearable, sync it with Apple Health to sync it with Ate (or manually add your exercise to Ate). This will allow you to have your workouts added to Ate amongst your meals and other events that you journal throughout the day. Additionally, use the Calendar, Day Recaps, and Insights to view your progress for the month (and share it with others too)!
3. Prioritize recovery, rest, and mindfulness:
Physical fitness isn’t just about intense workouts — it’s also essential to rest and recover properly to prevent burnout and injury. Take time for stretching, foam rolling, and rest days to allow your body to recover and rebuild.
In addition to being physically active, pay attention to your nutrition and eating habits. By practicing mindful eating, you can make healthier food choices, improve your relationship with food, and better support your fitness goals.
How to do this in Ate:
Recovery and rest are just as important. If today’s recovery is a walk or stretching, track that as you would. If it’s rest, make a note of it too. You’ll be able to scroll through the past month and see just how your focus on physical activity measured up. Make notes throughout to reflect on how you’re feeling and doing (and do the same for when you journal your meals).
Usually, when you increase your physical activity, hunger increases as well. It’s great to see how the activities that you are doing and not only how it affects your hunger but also the food choices that you make. Additionally, after a great workout, you tend to crave something healthy and fulfilling rather than craving a handful of sugar! See how adding and being more aware of your physical activity has an impact on everything else in your life too!
By following these three steps and utilizing the Ate app to track your progress, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier and more active lifestyle this May. Remember, consistency is key, so stay committed to your goals and celebrate your achievements along the way. Here’s to a successful National Physical Fitness Month!
For more monthly challenges check out the Ate blog or view past challenges in the Discover section of the Ate app.
